New study reveals eating burnt food may increase your chances of getting cancer
So, you left your fries in the oven a little longer than you should have and now they're a tad TOO golden. Or maybe you turned your toaster settings on a little too high and your breakfast is more crispy than you typically like it. While some get beyond frustrated when their food burns, others seem to take a liking to it. But before you chomp down on those extra golden fries and super crispy toast, there are a few things you should know. A recent study by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has uncovered something quite scary about the link between overcooked foods and cancer.
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First off, we want to start off by defining the word acrylamide, otherwise known as a a cancer-causing toxin in roast potatoes, chips and toast cooked in the home. This is important for this story in particular because according to the study, the crispier the roast potato, chip, etc. -- the higher the levels of acrylamide they contained. Apparently, the toxin forms when these foods are subjected to intense heat.
%shareLinks-quote="Further cooking of carbohydrate rich foods, for example the grilling of bread to make toast, causes more acrylamide to be produced. Levels are higher in well-cooked dark brown chips compared to lighter brown cooked chips. " type="quote" author="Professor Guy Poppy" authordesc="FSA Chief Scientific Advisor" isquoteoftheday="false"%
In other words, the study indicated that "At the levels we are exposed to from food, acrylamide could be increasing the risk of cancer." Professor Poppy also added however, that he does not advice '"people stop eating particular foods but when making chips at home, they are cooked to a light golden color," and the same goes for bread, potatoes. etc.
So, before you take a bite out of that burnt toast, you might want to think about tossing it out instead and making a new one.
Click through below for more common foods that may cause cancer:
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